For sociolinguists, language is a sociocultural construct, which means that, more than just a set of linguistic rules, they represent a way of behaving, belonging, creating social identities and relationships (Winford, 2003, p. 24). When it comes to the African American Vernacular English (AAVE), however, there is difficulty in asserting the variety’s autonomy compared to other varieties. According to Daniel Winford, from a linguistic perspective this difficulty is the same that concepts like “dialect” and “variety” have always posed (p. 28), and the dissent regarding AAVE’s status reflects the debate over the role of African Americans in the history and culture of America. In other words, the AAVE variety is subject to forms of linguistic prejudice rooted in racist ideologies.
When it comes to vernaculars of black communities, it is undeniable that they are not granted the same prestige as the Standard English form (SE). According to Winford, the idea that one single variety is superior to non-standard ones reinforces the unequal distribution of power and privilege in the communities that adopt the latter forms (p. 31). Furthermore, by discriminating against the speakers’ non-standard varieties, this linguistic profiling also rejects their sociocultural values and beliefs:
“Languages are not merely systems of rules, as linguists emphasize; they are also vehicles of social interaction and badges of social identity. They are shaped by sociocultural forces, and our perception of them is conditioned by social practice, social relationships, and attendant ideologies. Linguistic prejudice, as we all know, is simply race or class or ethnic prejudice in a subtle guise.” (p. 35)
The standardization of a linguistic variety is motivated by social, political and commercial reasons, and is perpetrated by institutions such as schools, government, and media. In Black Linguistics: Language, Society, and Politics in Africa and the Americas, edited by Sinfree Makoni, Geneva Smitherman, Arnetha F. Ball and Arthur K. Spears, several authors offer evidence and studies on how the prestige inequality between SE and AAVE are in themselves manifestations of prejudice and racism. For example, it has been noted that black children who are native speakers of AAVE may have more trouble at school with alphabetization, having their native variety disregarded as grammatically incorrect. Still, the U.S. refuses to approve legislation that recognizes AAVE as legitimate for teaching at schools.
In this scenario, the study of AAVE may offer possibilities of quantifying and reversing social injustices (Alim, 2003, p. 40). For many African Americans, AAVE plays an important role as a symbol of resistance to assimilation of white culture, expressing community membership. For example, H. Samy Alim presents an interesting study about the deliberate stylistic variation of African American Hip Hop artists in a strategic effort to create a street identity (p. 41). The author affirms that every single feature of AAVE can be found in Hip Hop Lyrics, and poses a few questions: With what frequency do they come up? Can they be considered isolated incidents, or like a pattern? Are these features used in Hip Hop lyrics the same way that they are in conversational speech? (p. 46).
Alim chooses two rappers, Eve and Juvenile, and one linguistic feature of AAVE, the copula absence – the omission of is and are in some present tense forms (such as in “He the leader!”, for example). Then, he selects lyrics and interviews from both artists, and compares the frequency that copula absence is found in the compositions and conversational speech. He learns that, for both artists, the copula absence increases significantly in lyrics (p. 51). Considering that, unlike the interviews, the rappers’ lyrics go through a careful and lengthy process of planning, composing, revising, the presence of copula absence is deliberate and intentional. More importantly, Alim’s findings contradict Labov’s previous theory:
“Labov noted that stylistic variation depended largely on the attention paid to speech. In his case, the more attention the artists pay to their speech, the more ‘standard’ their speech became. However, in the case of Hip Hop lyrics, the data suggest that the more attention the artists pay to their speech (comparing interviews to lyrics) the more ‘non-standard’ their speech becomes – as indicated by the increase in the frequency of copula absence.” (p. 54)
In a conscious and strategic linguistic maneuver, both rappers choose to divert from the standard form of English, according to their identity and their target audience identity – African Americans who identify as part of the Hip Hop community. This specific use of language create not only a linguistic connection with the audience, but also a cultural one, encompassing the values, morals, and aesthetics typical of Hip Hop culture.
Here are a couple of the songs analyzed by Alim (viewer discretion is advised – adult content)
Eve – Love is Blind
Lyrics:
Hey, yo I don’t even know you and I hate you
See all I know is that my girlfriend used to date you
How would you feel if she held you down and raped you?
Tried and tried, but she never could escape you
She was in love and I’d ask her how? I mean why?
What kind of love from a n**** would black your eye?
What kind of love from a n**** every night make you cry?
What kind of love from a n**** make you wish he would die?
I mean s*** he bought you things and gave you diamond rings
But them things wasn’t worth none of the pain that he brings
And you stayed, what made you fall for him?
That n**** had the power to make you crawl for him
I thought you was a doctor be on call for him
Smacked you down cause he said you was too tall for him, huh?
That wasn’t love, babygirl you was dreamin’
I could have killed you when you said your seed was growin’ from his semen
Love is blind, and it will take over your mind
What you think is love, is truly not
You need to elevate and find
I don’t even know you and I’d kill you myself
You played with her like a doll and put her back on the shelf
Wouldn’t let her go to school and better herself
She had a baby by your a** and you ain’t giving no help
Uh-huh big time hustler, snake motherf***er
One’s born everyday and everyday she was your sucker
How could you beat the mother of your children?
How could you tell her that you lover her?
Don’t give a f*** if she lives
She told me she would leave you, I admit it she did
But came back, made up a lie about you missing your kids
Sweet kisses, baby didn’t even know she was your mistress
Had to deal with fist fights and phone calls from your b****es
Floss like you possess her, tellin’ me to mind my business
Said that it was her life and stay the f*** out of it
I tried and said just for him I’ll keep a ready clip
I don’t even know you and I want you dead
Don’t know the facts but I saw the blood pour from her head
See I laid down beside her in the hospital bed
And about two hours later, doctors said she was dead
Had the nerve to show up at her mother’s house the next day
To come and pay your respects and help the family pray
Even knelt down on one knee and let a tear drop
And before you had a chance to get up
You heard my gun c***
Prayin’ to me now, I ain’t God but I’ll pretend
I ain’t start your life but n**** I’mma bring it to an end
And I did, clear shots and no regrets
?Member cops comin’ in, watch me going to jail
N**** whatever my b****, f*** it my sister
You could never figure out even if I let you live
What our love was all about
I considered her my blood and it don’t come no thicker
Juvenile – U Understand
Lyrics:
I ain’t no pussy ass nigga (ya understand)
I’m a rapper but I’m still a gorilla (ya understand)
I’ll whip ya like the Thrilla Manilla (ya understand)
You gon’ make me have to kill me a nigga (ya understand)
I’m a be here for a minute lil wodie (ya understand)
Ain’t bout to let nobody fuck over me (ya understand)
I don’t need ya playa hatin’ on Juvey (ya understand)
Don’t be talkin’ about what you gon’ do with me (ya understand)
I’ll ride everyday of the week (ya understand)
Ya get ya issue when ya playin’ with me (ya understand)
I’ll crawl at the spot that ya sleep (ya understand)
Get with my niggas from the block and we creep (ya understand)
Load it up cock it back and get ready (ya understand)
Make sure you be holdin’ it steady (ya understand)
We gon’ go in there and blow the bitch up (ya understand)
Soon as we get ’em we gon’ all get the fuck (ya understand)
Shhhh, be quiet
Tonight is the night that we ride
30 camoflauge Hummers with niggaz inside
with choppers, doin – surgery on bodies like they doctors
I know when to get my ass outta Dodge (ya understand)
Look them people ridin’ I’m gonna hide (ya understand)
I’m a wait until them bitches slow down (ya understand)
’cause I ain’t tryin’ to be jail bound (ya understand)
It ain’t over till the fat man fall (ya understand)
I’m just waitin’ on the right phone call (ya understand)
You know them hoes gon’ let me know where they at (ya understand)
Nigga got me I’ma go get em back (ya understand)
One by one they all gonna drop (ya understand)
Right here is where the foolishness stop (ya understand)
I’m tryin’ to get the bullshit over (ya understand)
’cause I want to go and chill in the ‘Nolia (ya understand)
We need to get some more ammunition (ya understand)
’cause somebody’s bout to come up missin’ (ya understand)
Now everybody hop in the truck (ya understand)
And when ya see one of them bitches ya bust (ya understand)
Shhhh, be quiet
Fuck jumpin’ out I’m a slang me some iron(ya understand)
When I catch them niggas all of ’em dyin’ (ya understand)
Nigga listen up to what we gon’ do (ya understand)
I’m about to give the game to you (ya understand)
That’s the reason why I came to you (ya understand)
’cause playin’ ain’t the thang to do (ya understand)
It ain’t that hard I did it before (ya understand)
you just gon’ make sure let nobody know (ya understand)
I’ll bet ya them boys want to rep (ya understand)
They tryin’ to get the shit off they chest (ya understand)
It ain’t over lil daddy be cool (ya understand)
Nigga tired of the nigga we through (ya understand)
You know you better stay pretty cool (ya understand)
We bout to go and punish this fool (ya understand)
Hop out the car and let that iron ring ya understand)
That’s the end of this stupid ass thing (ya understand)
Shh be quiet
Shh be quiet
References
WINFORD, Donald. Ideologies of language and socially realistic linguistics. In: MAKONI, Sinfred et al. (ed.). Black Linguistics: Language, society and politics in Africa and the Americas. London: Routledge, 2003.
ALIM, H. Samy. “We are the streets”: African American Language and the strategic construction of a street conscious identity. In: MAKONI, Sinfred et al. (ed.). Black Linguistics: Language, society and politics in Africa and the Americas. London: Routledge, 2003.
African American Vernacular English 